Fuel burning apparatus



March 25, 1941. A, A, KUHE 2,236,181

FUEL BURNING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 30, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 25, 1941. KUCHER 2,236,181

FUEL auanme APPARATUS Filed 0%. 50, 19:57 2 Sheets-Shet 2 ATTORNEY. I

Patented Mar. 25, 1941 PATENT OFFICE FUEL BURNING APPARATUS Andrew A. Kucher, Dayton, Ohio Application December 30, 1937, Serial No. 182,462

15 Claims.

The present invention relates to fuel burning apparatus and more particularly to the type in which the fuel is ejected from a nozzle and then mixed with the proper amount of air to support combustion.

In fuel burning apparatus of the above type, particularly when oil is used as a fuel, the fuel is forced through a spray nozzle by a pump. A

regulating valve is interposed between the pumpand the spray nozzle for the purpose of deterring the ejection'of fuel from the nozzle until the pressure on the fuel is sufficient to cause atomization thereof by passing through the nozzle and for maintaining such pressure on the fuel.

Usually an electric motor is employed for driving the fuel pump and the air fan.

One of the objects of the present invention is to arrange the nozzle and the regulating valve so that they are rotated by the motor.

Another object of the invention is to arrange the regulating valve in such manner as to provide an air pocket therein, the air therein functioning as a cushion to absorb the pulsations of the pump.

A further object is to arrange for the flow of fuel oil from the discharge side of the pump to the bearing of the motor so that lubricant is delivered to the bearing under pressure.

A still further object is to cause the excess oil, 1. e., the oil that is pumpeds'and not ejected through the nozzle, to flow from the regulating valve, through the motor bearings and thence re- 1 in a recess or bore which also is disposed eccentrically with respect to the axis of the shaft.

Further objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings therein a preferred form of embodiment of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the improved fuel burning apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of the central part of the mechanism shown in Fig. l, but on a larger scale;

Figs. 3 and 4 are sectional views taken on lines 3-3 and 4--4, respectively, of Fig. 2';

Fig. 5 is a side view of the pressure operated piston of the regulating valve;

Fig. 6 is the top view of said piston; and

Fig. 7 is a schematic view of certain axes and peripheries of parts of the pump and in which certain eccentricities are exaggerated.

The fuel burning apparatus includes a main frame 20 including a lower section 2| and an upper section 22. These sections may be formed of sheet metal or may be castings suitably secured to one another at the rim 24 and 25. The lower part of section 2| forms a circular motor housing 26 carrying the laminations 21 and the field coils 28. The bottom of the section 2| is provided with an opening 29 normally closed by a cap 30 which latter is held in place byscrews 32. The lower part of the cap is threaded to receive a pipe coupling 33 and the upper part thereof is provided with a hollow boss 34. A shaft or post 36 is suitably secured within the boss 34 and extends vertically to provide a cylindrically shaped bearing. The armature 31 of the motor is rigidly secured to a sleeve 38 which latter is journaled on the shaft 36. This sleeve 38 is undercut at the bottom so as to provide a thrust bearing 39 which rides upon the top finished surface of boss 34.

The lower section 2| is flared outwardly a at 4| and the upper section 22 is similarly flared as at 42 and these flared portions cooperate to form a circular blower chamber 43. A fan or blower 44 is secured to the sleeve 38 by screws 45 and this fan is preferably formed from two sheets of metal 46 and 41 suitably secured to one another, the lower sheet being cut and bent to form the fan blades 48. Directing vanes 50 are disposed above the fan 44. These directing vanes are carried by a disk 5| which is secured to the upper frame section 22 by screws 52 and which taper inwardly and upwardly near the center. A series of openings 54 is formed in the flare 4| of the lower section 2|. Damper mechanism 55 is secured to the flare 4|. This damper mechanism is slidable so as to control the size of the openings 54 and is held in adjusted position by a screw 56 and wing nut 51.

When the motor is operated a controlled amount of air is drawn into the fan chamber '43 through the openings 54 by the fan blades 48 and the air will be conducted inwardly above the disk 5| and through the tubular part 60 of frame section 22, the vanes 50 having the tendency to direct the air radially inwardly.

The upper end of the rotating sleeve 38 is out to form a recess 62. An eccentric ring 63 is disposed within this recess and is adapted to seal inglybear against one part of the periphery of the shaft or post 36. The upper end of the post is cut to form a radially extending groove 64 which is rectangularly shaped in cross section and is also drilled as at 65. The recess in the upper end of the shaft 36 carries a vane 68 having a rearwardly extending pin 61. This vane is also rectangularly shaped in cross section and is arranged to sealingly engage the side wall and the bottom of groove 64. A spring 69, surrounding the pin 61, is located within the drilled opening 65 and abuts the rear end of van 66 to normally tend to force the vane 66 outwardly. When the sleeve 38 and ring 63 are rotated, the vane will be reciprocated horizontally due to the inward movement caused by the ring and the outward movement caused by the spring 69. A circular plate II is secured to the top end of the shaft 36 by two screws I2 which are threaded into the post and disposed on opposite sides of the plunger 66. The top surface of vane 66 is flush with the top surface of ring 63 and the bottom of plate II sealingly engages these top surfaces. The shaft 36 is hollow except for the upper end thereof and this upper end is drilled to formavertical duct 14 and a joined horizontal duct I5. This duct I5 extends to the side or periphery of the shaft 36. The ducts 14 and I5 form the inlet to the pump. A small vertical hole 16 is drilled in the plate II which forms the outlet of the pump.

The sleeve 38 and the attached ring 63 are rotated in a counter clockwise direction and as the ring 63 moves away from the periphery of the post 36 a partial vacuum is created causing fuel oil to be drawn through the coupling 33, the hollow shaft 36, ducts I4 and I5 to the interior of the recess 62 and as the gap between the shaft 36 and the ring 63 closes, the oil will be forced through the hole I6 in the plate II. Thus the hole 16 forms the outlet duct for the pump. A hole I8 is drilled through plate II so as to register with opening 65 whereby high pressure is maintained on the back or inner side of vane 66.

The bore forming recess 62 in the sleeve 38 is slightly eccentric with respect to the axis of shaft 36. This eccentricity is merely a fraction of a thousandth of an inch and is not discerned in Figs. 3 and 4. For the purpose of illustrating this eccentricity, the same has been exaggerated in Fig. 7 wherein 8| is the axis of shaft 36 and 92 is the periphery of shaft 36; 83 is the axis for the bore of ring 63 and 85 is the inner periphery of said bore; 86 is the axis for bore 80 forming the recess 62 for receiving ring 63. Thus it will be seen that by rotating ring 63 in its recess, it can be tangentially adjusted with respect to the periphery of shaft 36. In assembling, the ring 63 is adjusted so that it just touches the periphery of shaft 36. The ring 63 is provided with a vertically drilled hole 88 which forms a jig for a drill. The ring 63 is held in adjusted position and a drill is inserted through hole 88 and drilled into the sleeve 38. A pin 89 is then driven through the hole 88 in ring 63 and into the aligned hole in sleeve 38 to maintain the ring in its adjusted position.

A housing 9| is threaded onto the upper. end of sleeve 38 and therefore rotates with the sleeve. A gasket 92 is interposed between the upper shoulder of sleeve 38 and lower shoulder of housing 9|. This housing 9I forms chamber sections 93 and 94 which are connected with one another by a drilled passage 96. These chamber sections receive the oil from the pump. The top of the housing 9| is-..provided with a cap 98 which is threaded in position and sealed by a gasket 99. The top of the cap 98 carries the usual type of spray nozzle I00 and oil is pumped and forced under pressure from chamber section 93, through passage 96, chamber section 94 and spray nozzle I00. Cap 98 forms a downwardly extending skirt I02 which is flared at I03 and this flared portion is provided with a series of notches I04. The skirt is imperforate and cooperates with the side wall of housing 9| and the bottom wallof cap 98 to form an air pocket I06. Air or gases from the oil will be trapped within the pocket I06 and will be under pressure when the pump is operative but at the same time will serve as acushion for absorbing the pulsations of the pump. In this manner a steady stream of oil will be ejected from the nozzle I00. For the purpose of describing this feature of the invention, I have referred to the chamber'section 93, the passage 96 and the portion of chamber section 94 which contains oil, as an oil reservoir and the upper part of chamber section 94 as an air pocket.

It is desirable to prevent the ejection of fuel from the spray nozzle until the pressure on the fuel is sufficiently high to cause complete atomization of the same when ejected and to also limit the maximum pressure on the fuel being ejected through he spray nozzle. For this purpose there is pro ided a valve I08 having an upper valve seat I09 and a lower valve seat IIO. Valve I08 is disposed within and guided by skirt I02 and the valv' seat portion I09 thereof controls the flow of f e1 from the outlet opening III of the cap. The intermediate body portion II3 of housing 9| is .bored to form a cylinder Ill which is axially aligned with the shaft 36. Cylinder II4 carries a piston H5 and a spring H6 is interposed between the bottom of the top wall II'I of the piston" and a lower wall II8 of housing 9I The top of piston I I5 engages the bottom of valve I08 and the spring II6 urges the valve I08 outwardly to close valve seat I09 so as to prevent the flow of oil through outlet III. However, when the pressure within the oil reservoir attains a predetermined value, this pressure on the top of the piston II5 will cause the piston to move downwardly. The valve I 08 will fall and fuel will be ejected past the valve seat I09 and to the spray nozzle I00.

In order to insure adequate supply or ejection of fuel, the fuel pump is designed so as to have a capacity in excess of that necessary. In order to prevent the ejection of too much oil, it is desirable to limit the maximum oil pressure within the oil reservoir. For this purpose there is provided a relief passage from the reservoir. This release passage comprises a hole I20 extending through the top wall II'I of the piston H5 and the inlet thereto is controlled by valve seat IIO of valve I08. A pin I2I extends through valve I 08 and is arranged to engage the top of body portion II 3 so as to limit the extent of downward movement of valve I08. Now when the pressure within the reservoir attains a predetermined maximum value, the piston will have moved downwardly far enough to uncover the valve seat IIO whereby fuel can pass or leak from the oil reservoir through the hole I20 in the piston. A light tension spring I22 exerts a downward pressure on valve I08 and prevents displacement of the valve when the valve is supported by pin I2I. Thus the spring I22 prevents sidewise movement of the valve when it is not guided by outlet opening III or hole I20.

The excess oil, after passing through hole I20 and into the lower part of cylinder II4, then passes through a duct I23 in housing 9| and a duct I24 in sleeve 38. Sleeve 38 is undercut at I25 which undercut receives oil from duct I24. The oil passes downwardly and fiows between the lower part of sleeve 38 and stationary shaft 36 so as to lubricate the bearing portion I26 of shaft 36. A circular groove I2'I is formed in the shaft 26 directly above the thrust bearing 39 so as to form a reservoir for supplying oil to the thrust bearing. A hole I28 is drilled through shaft 36 at the groove I2'I for conveying excess oil passing through the passage I20 and the piston I I5 to the interior of the shaft 36. Thus the passage I20, the lower part of the cylinder II4, ducts I23 and I24, undercut I25, the slight clearance between bearing I26 and sleeve 38, hole I28 and the hollow part of shaft 36 form a bypass from the high pressure side of the pump to the low pressure side to relieve the oil reservoir of pressure in excess of that desired.

In view of the fact that the pump maintains sub-atmospheric pressure within the hollow shaft 36, excessive oil will not pass out at thrust bearing 39. A standpipe I34 extends within the hollow shaft 36. The pipe I34 is hermetically secured to a plate I36 which plate and a gasket I3'I are clamped to the lower cap 30 by the coupling 33. The top of pipe I34 forms the inlet for oil to the hollow shaft and insures the presence of a body of oil in the hollow shaft 36 above the bearing surfaces I26 and 39 whereby oil is present for lubricating purposes although no oil is being supplied to the apparatus. A screen I38 is also secured to plate I36 and surrounds and covers the pipe I34. This screen prevents foreign matter in the oil from entering the apparatus.

Apparatus of the present type are usually operated intermittently. For ease of starting the motor and pump, I have provided for unloading or rather decreasing the pressure in the high pressure oil reservoir during the idle period of the pump. A restricted but continuously open passage is provided from the high side of the apparatus to the low side. In the specific embodiment, this restricted passage is formed by scratching the piston which scratch is shown in exaggeration in Figs. 5 and 6 at I40. The scratch should be of such depth that oil under slight pressure, will flow therethrough, that is, during,

the idle period of the pump also. In order to compensate for this leakage during the running period of the pump, the capacity of the pump must be sufficient to maintain a pressure in the high pressure chamber in excess of that necessary to open passage I20.

Circular grooves I3I and I32 are cut in the bottom and top shoulders of housing 9| and sleeve 38 respectively and gasket 92 is provided with perforations which are aligned with these grooves I3I and I32 so as to insure the flow of oil from duct I23 to duct I24 regardless whether the ducts I23 and I24 are aligned.

Some oil passing through duct I24 and into undercut I25 will seep upwardly along the bearing portion- I33 of shaft 36 to assist in lubricating this bearing. Oil under pressure will also seep by the ring 63 and the upper end of shaft 36 to also assist in lubricating the bearing portion I33.

The tubular part 60 of upper frame section 22 I surrounds and provides a guard for the rotatiifg housing 9|. Two electrodes, one of which is shown at I4I, are carried by a bracket I42 within the tube 60. One of the wires for the electrodes is shown at I43,-extending through the tube 60 and insulated therefrom by a bushing I44.

A series of, preferably three, hook shaped ears I46 can be formed integrally or otherwise secured at the periphery of rim 24 of section 2I for attachment to support legs (not shown) for the apparatus. The tubular part 60 of upper section 22 is adapted to extend through the hearth of the furnace while the remaining portion of the apparatus is preferably disposed in a chamber of the furnace in which incoming cold air circulates. The cool air flowing through the apparatus, due to the action of the blower 44, materially assists in maintaining the entire apparatus below injurious high temperature.

From the foregoing it is apparent that I have constructed a self-containing fuel burning apparatus embodying all the necessary elements into one compact structure which can be assembled, shipped and installed as a unit. When the apparatus is used as an oil burner, the oil fuel is utilized as the lubricant for all of the moving parts of the apparatus and at no time is it nec- "essary to supply additional oil for lubricating purposes. This is made possible by the combining into one structure all of the moving parts and the particular arrangement of these parts.

Another advantage of the present invention lies in the use of a vertically discharging spray nozzle and the disposing of the pressure regulator below the spray nozzle. Due to momentum, the motor will continue to rotate after the current thereto is interrupted and the pump will continue to operate. The pressure in the high pressure chamber continues to decrease but before the pump is stopped and before the pressure decreases below oil atomizing pressure, valve seat I09 closes and positively stops the flow of oil to rupted. Therefore, all oil delivered to the spray nozzle is under atomizing pressure.

Still another advantage lies in the use of the non-rotating passage for the oil flowing to the pump. The hollow post 36 is stationary and therefore no whirling or rotating motion is.imparted to the oil flowing to the pump. By the construction herein shown, the pump not only functions as a pressure pump but also as a suction pump. In fact the pump produces a subatmospheric pressure equal to 22 inches of mercury which is adequate for lifting oil from the tanks of the usual type of oil burner installations.

While the form of embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow:

I claim: I

1. In a fuel burning apparatus, in combination, a frame forming a bearing; a stationary shaft carried by the frame; a rotating member journaled on the bearing; a ring having an eccentric bore tangentially engaging the shaft, said rotating member having a bore eccentric with respect to the axis of the shaft, said ring being rotatable in said eccentric bore to effect eccentrical adjustment of the ring, means for securing said ring to the rotating member; a pump vane carried by the shaft for engaging the bore of the ring, said vane and ring cooperating to pump a fluid, said rotating member forming a high pressure chamber for receiving the pumped liquid.

2. A pump comprising a stationam member and a rotating member concentrically disposed with respect to one another, the outer of said members having a bore eccentric with respect to the axis of the inner member, a ring disposed within said bore and rotatable therein to effect eccentric adjustment of said ring relative to said stationary member, said ring having a bore eccentric with respect to the axis of and tangentially engaging the inner member, and a vane carried by the inner member and engaging the bore of the ring. 1

3. A pump comprising a stationary shaft, a ro tating member journaled on the shaft, said rotating member having a recess formed eccentrically with respect to the axis of the shaft, a rin secured in said recess and rotatable therein for effecting eccentrical adjustment of said ring relative to said stationary shaft, said ring having an eccentric bore tangentially engaging the shaft,

and a vane carried by the shaft and engaging the bore.

4. In a fuel burning apparatus, in combination, an oil pump having an inlet and an outlet; a motor for driving the pump and having a bearing; pressure releasing means connected with the outlet of the pump, said pressure releasing means including a chamber; a duct for conducting oil from the chamber to said motor bearing; and a duct for conducting oil from the bearing to the inlet of the pump.

5. In a fuel burning apparatus, in combination, relatively stationary and rotating means forming a fluid pump, said rotating means forming a low pressure chamber connected with the inlet of the pump, a high pressure chamber connected with the outlet of the pump, and a duct connecting the high pressure chamber with the low pressure chamber, said rotating means including two connected sections each having a passage registering with one another and forming a part of said duct; and means responsive to the pressure in the high pressure chamber for controlling the flow of fluid from the high pressure chamber through said duct.

6. In a fuel burning apparatus, in combination, relatively stationary and rotating means forming a low pressure chamber and a high pressure chamber, said stationary means including a shaft having a longitudinally extending passage forming a part of the low pressure chamber, said rotating means including a housing having a duct connecting the high pressure and low pressure cham bers; means cooperating with the shaft and housin and forming a fluid pump, said pump having the inlet thereof connected with the passage in the shaft and the outlet thereof discharging into the high pressure chamber; and means responsive to the pressure in the high pressure chamber for controlling the flow of fluid from said high pressure chamber through said duct.

7. In a fuel burning apparatus, in combination, relatively stationary and rotating means forming a low pressure chamber and a high pressure chamber, said stationary means including a shaft having a longitudinally extending passage forming a part of the low pressure chamber, said rotating means including two connected sections each having a passage registering with one another, the passage in one of said sections being connected with the high pressure chamber, the other of said sections including a sleeve journaled on said shaft and the passage in said other section leading to the passage in the shaft; means 00- operating with the shaft and housing and forming a fluid pump, said pump having the inlet thereof connected with the passage in the shaft and the outlet thereof discharging into the high pressure chamber; and means responsive to the pressure in the high pressure chamber for controlling the flow of fluid from said high pressure chamber through said registering passages.

8. In a fuel burning apparatus, in combination, a fluid pump; a rotating housing disposed to receive fluid from the pump, said rotating housing having an outlet duct and a second duct connecting the interior of the housing with the low pressure side of the pump; means for actuating the pump and for rotating the housing; valve means within the housing for controlling the flow of fluid through the ducts; and means Within the housing and responsive to the pressure therein for actuating the valve means, first to admit fuel to the outlet duct when the pressure within the housing attains a certain value and to also admit fuel to the second mentioned duct when the pressure attains a predetermined higher value.

9. In a fuel burning apparatus, in combination,

a liquid pump; walls forming a rotating housing conduct liquid from the reservoir; and means for actuating the pump and for rotating the housing.

10. In a fuel burning apparatus, in combination, a liquid pump; walls forming a rotating housing disposed to receive liquid from the pump,

said housing having an inlet and an outlet and a wall disposed transversely of the axis of rotation of the housing to provide a liquid reservoir and a gas pocket, one of said walls having a passage interconnecting the liquid reservoir and gas pocket and disposed to be sealed by the rotating liquid in the housing, said inlet receiving liquid from the pump and said outlet being disposed to conduct liquid from the reservoir; and means for actuating the pump and for rotating the housing; and release means rotated with the housing and responsive to the pressure within the housing for regulating the flow of liquid through said outlet.

11. In a fuel burning apparatus, in combination, a fluid pump having an inlet and an outlet; pressure regulating means connected with the outlet of the pump, said regulating means including a rotating housing forming a chamber, said chamber having an outlet; means responsive to a predetermined pressure in the chamber for causing fluid to flow through the chamber outlet, said regulating means having a passage constantly conducting fluid from the chamber and being of such restriction with respect to the capacity of the pump that said predetermined pressure is maintainable in the chamber when the pump is operative.

12. In a fuel burning apparatus, in combination, a liquid pump having an inlet and an outlet; pressure regulatingv means connected with the outlet of the pump, said regulating means including a chamber forming a liquid reservoir and a gas pocket, said pump compressing the gas in the pocket and said gas absorbing the pulsations of the pump, said chamber having an outlet disposed to receive liquid from the reservoir; means responsive to a predetermined pressure in the chamber for causing liquid to flow through the chamber outlet, said regulating means having a passage constantly conducting fluid from the chamber for relieving the pressure in the chamher when the pump is inoperative and said passage being of such restriction with respect to the capacity or the pump that said predetermined pressure is maintainable in the chamber when the pump is operating.

13. In combination, walls forming a housing having an inlet and an outlet for connecting the space defined by the housing with a liquid pump and spray nozzle, respectively; means for rotating the housing; a wall within the housing transverse to the axis of rotation oi the housing to divide the housing into a liquid reservoir and a gas pocket, one of said walls having a passage interconnecting the reservoir and gas pocket and sealed by the liquid during the rotation of the liquid to prevent the escape of gas from the ing an inlet and an outlet for connecting the space defined by the housing with a liquid pump and a spray nozzle, respectively; means forming a gas pocket in the housing including a wall within the housing transversely disposed with respect to the axis of rotation of the liquid, one of said walls having a passage interconnecting the spaces on opposite sides of the transverse wall, said passage being disposed to be sealed by the liquid during the rotation of the liquid.

15. In combination, walls forming a closed housing for a rotating body of liquid and having an inlet and outlet for connecting the chamber with a liquid pump and spray nozzle, respectively; means forming a gas pocket in the housing including an imperforate skirt extending from the top of the chamber but spaced from the bot tom of the chamber, the bottom of said shirt including a wall extending transversely of the axis of rotation of the liquid, one of said walls having a passage interconnecting the spaces on opposite sides'oi the transverse wall, said passage being disposed to be sealed by the liquid during the rotation of the liquid.

ANDREW A. KUCHER.

' for a rotating body of liquid, said housing hav- 

